Hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills.



No. 826,359. PATBNTED JULY 17, 1906.

J. C. s EARLE.

HYDRAULIC APPARATUS POR CANE MILLS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.23.1905.

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No. 826,369. vv PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

J. C. SEARLE. v

I HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FOR CANE MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23.1905.

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J. C. SEARLE.

, HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FOR GANE MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23. 1905.

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No. 826,369. PATBNTED JULY I7, 1966. I. 6. 66,661.6.

HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FOR CANE MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED 666.273.1605.

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'UNITED STATES JOHN COOPER SEARLE, OF HILEA,

PATENT OFFIO.

HONUAPO, TERRITORY OF Hawaii,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOS. O. RIDGWAY, OF HILO, TERRI- 'IORY OF HAWAII.

HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FOR CANE-MILLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application led August 23, 1905. Serial No. 275,3 90.

To all wwnt t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN COOPER SEARLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hilea, Honuapo, Territory of Hawaii, have invented a new and Improved Hydraulic Apparatus for Cane-Mills, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills, my more particular object being to produce a simple apparatus which can be built upon cane-mills in the first instance or can be applied to existing cane-mills at a nominal cost for the purpose of regulating the iow of water to the cane or bagasse, for sounding an alarm when the flow of water ceases, for indicating the amount of Water employed, and for accomplishing several other desirable purposes hereinafter described.

My invention further relates to certain details of construction shownin the accompanying drawings. l

I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown, for the reason that various parts u may be modified considerably without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

While I show my apparatus as applied to a three-roller mill, I do not limit myself to this type of mill. Obviously the invention can be employed upon any kind of mill regardless of the number of rolls employed and also regardless of the substance to be crushed or squeezed by the mill.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a Jfragmentary side elevation showing my invention as applied to a threeroller mill and viewed as from the right of Fig. 4, Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the same viewed as from the same point as Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation viewed as from the left of Fig. 4, certain parts being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mill as equipped with my invention. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan or bottom view of the sprinkling-head; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section of the sprinkling-head, taken upon the line 6 6 of Fig. 5

It may not be amiss to make a few observations relative to the general construction and use of the mechanism to which my invention relates. In sugar-cane mills it is customary to pass the cane through two or more sets of rolls. The cane passes through the first set of rolls, which squeezes out considerable portions of the juice. The residue of the cane is a sort of trash known as bagasse, and this Apasses onward to the next set of rolls and is squeezed again. Before being squeezed by the second set of rolls, however, the bagasse is sprinkled with water, which under the law of the diffusion of liquids unites with the remaining ljuice and forms a sort of imperfect solution. Vhen, therefore, the bagasse is squeezed by the second set of rolls, the water thus removed contains a small percentage of sugar in solution. If desired, the bagasse may be sprinkled a second time and passed through a third set of rolls. It may be further remarked that upon large sugar-plantations records or statistics are kept of the output of sugar made from different classes of cane and from cane received from different parts of the plantation. The statistics are necessary to enable the planters to keep the relative value of different portions of their lands and also to know how best to distribute fertilizers relatively to the different lands in order to produce the best result.

My invention relates more particularly to the set or sets of rolls which operate upon the bagasse after the cane has already passed through one set of rolls in the usual manner.

The framework is shown at 7 and the various rolls at 8, 9, and 10. The roll 9 is partially supported upon the bearing 11 and is provided with a crank-arm 12. This crankarm 12 is provided with teeth 13, which are engaged by a locking-plate 14. A pitman 15 is operatively connected with the crank-arm 12 by a pin 17, which passes through a slot 16 in the crank-arm and engages the lockingplate 14. A sleeve 18 is provided with a washer 19 and encircles the pin 17. A jack 20 is provided with a cam-surface 21, which engages the washer 19 and locks the same firmly upon the sleeve 18, so that this sleeve is free to turn relatively to the pitman 15. The jack 20 is pivoted upon the outer end of the pin 17. A screw 22v passesthrough the locking-plate 14 and into the pin 17. An-

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other screw 23 is mounted rigidly upon the pitman and projects outwardly through the jack 20. This screw 23 is engaged by a thumb-nut 24. By loosening the thumb-nut 24 the jack 2O may be swung outwardly, thus allowing the cam-surface 21 to recede from the washer 19, and thereby release the looking-plate 14 from the teeth 13. The lockingplate can be adjusted at any desired point upon the crank-arm 12 and. can be tightened in position by securing the jack by means of the thumb-nut 24. In this way the virtual radius between the pin 17 and the center of the roll 9 can be lengthened or shortened at will, so that within certain limits any desired degree of throw may be given to the pitman 15. The double-cylinder pump is shown at 25 26 and is operated by means of a walkingbeam 27, which is connected with and actuated by the pitman 15. Vater is supplied to the pump through the pipes 27' 27b and is thence forced through the pipe 28uinto a cylinder 29. A movable piston-rod 30 extends upwardly from this cylinder and is slidably mounted within a comparatively long neck 31a, whereby it is steadied. A piston 31 is mounted rigidly upon the piston-rod 30 and is adapted to move upwardly when the waterpressure is fully turned on. The piston-rod 30 carries a spur-gear 32, which meshes with a spur-gear 33 upon the same shaft as the roll 9. The spur-gear 32 also engages a gear 34 of anindicating mechanism 35, preferably rovided with numbering-wheels 36 37. hen the piston-rod 30 moves upwardly, so as to occupy the position indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the meshing of the spur-gear 32 with the spur-gears 33 and 34 causes the rotation of the spur-gear 33 to actuate the indicating mechanism 35.

Mounted upon the extreme upper end of the piston-rod 30, which is curved for the purpose, is a gear-wheel 38 and also a bell 39,

. which is adapted to ring by movements of this gear-wheel. When, therefore, the piston-rod 30 descends, so that the gear-wheel 38 meshes with the gear-wheel 33, the bell 39 sounds an alarm. This downward movement of the piston-rod 30 disengages the gear-wheel 32 from the gear-wheels 33 and 34 and throws the indicating mechanism 35 out of action.

Connected with the pipe 27a is a plug-valve 40, actuated by a pinion 41, and this pinion is engaged by a rack 42, mounted upon a bar 43, which extends obliquely upward. This bar is provided at its upper end with another rack 44 and is slidably supported upon brackets 45 46. The rack 44 engages a pinion 47, which controls a valve 48, provided with a revoluble plug 48a. A by-pass pipe 49 connects together the two pump-cylinders 25 26. This by-pass is normally closed by the revoluble plug 48a, the rod 43 generally being in its uppermost or normal position. When, however, the rod 43 is in its lowermost position,

the by-pass 49 is open. From the pipe 28 a pipe 28D connects with another pipe 54, which leads upward and is supported by a bracket 55. This pipe 54 is connected by a neck 542L with a distributing-head 56, extending practically the entire width of the machine and provided with an open slot 58, partially closed by a wedge-shaped valve 59, as indicated more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6. The wedge-shaped valve 59 is supported by bridges 60, being suspended therefrom by means of rods 61. Encircling these rods are spiral springs 62, which are engaged by thumb-nuts 63. By loosening or tightening the thumb-nuts 63 the tension of the springs 62 is regulated so that the wedge-shaped valve 59 may be given any desired degree of tension. When, therefore, the water-pressure is applied within the distributinghead 56, the valve 59 opens to a greater or lesser eX- tent, allowing the water to escape on both sides of the wedge-shaped valve 59. The Water is thus showered over the bagasse, and the degree of flow of water for sprinkling the bagasse is adjusted by means of the thumbnuts 63. Power is applied to the rolls by means of a pulley 64 and a belt 65.

Within a vertical frame 66 is fixedly mounted a relay 67, supported upon a tubular support 68 and encircled by a movable cylinder 69. This cylinder supports a number of detachable weights 70 by means of a stirrup 71, carrying a platform 70a. Mounted upon this stirrup and projecting laterally therefrom is a bracket 69h, carrying a rack 69, which engages the pinion 41, so as to operate the valve 4() when said rack 69 rises or descends. Communicating with the movable cylinder 69 through the tubular support 68 is a pipe 72, which communicates with two hydraulic receptacles 73. (Shown to better advantage in Fig. 2.) Each of these hydraulic receptacles is provided with a piston 74, carrying a bearing 75, the latter engaging the revoluble shaft 76, which is rigidly connected with the roll 10.

The operation of my device is as follows: We will suppose that the cane has already passed through one set of rolls, being thereby reduced to bagasse having only a limited amount of juice contained within its fibers. The bagasse now reaches the rolls 8, 9, and 10 and passes therebetween. The stroke of the pitman 15 and the pressure of the wedgeshaped valve 59 having been adjusted as above described, the rotation of theA crankarm 12 causes the pitman 15 to operate the double-cylinder pump and force the water upward through the pipes 28, 28a and 281. Thepressure of the water within the cylinder 29 raises the piston 31 and causes the gear 32 to mesh with the gears 33 and 34. This enables the gear 33 to actuate the indicating mechanism 35. The water 'passes upwardly through the pipe 54 to the sprinkling-head 56, where, owing to its pressure, it partially IOO ISO

opens the valve 59 and is thus sprinkled over the bagasse. The bagasse being subjected to the pressure of the rolls, as above described, the water containing the remaining juice or a portion thereof is expressed in the usual manner and afterward evaporated or otherwise removed, so as to leave the sugar. The roll 10 is moved bodily toward and from the roll 8, and consequently approaches and recedes from the roll 9 whenever the quantity of bagasse passing through the rolls varies beyond certain limits-that is to say, whenever the quantity of bagasse is normal the lateral pressure against the roll 10 is very great, and the shaft 76 therefore presses with its usual energy against its bearings 75 and the piston 74. This causes a volume of water contained within the pipe 72 to be forced into the cylinder 69. This cylinder thereupon rises owing to the increased pressure of the liquid contained within it acting downwardly upon the stationary ram 67. The cylinder 69 is thus raised so that the rack 69al turns the pinion 41 in a contra-clockwise direction, according to the View shown in Fig. 1. This causes the rack 42 to move the rod 43 obliquely downward and actuate the pinion 47 so as to turn the plug 48 and close the water by-pass 49. This leaves the pumps 25 26 ready for action, because the by-pass 49 merely serves to give them relief and to enable them to make a stroke or partial stroke without discharging water. The contra-clockwise movement of the pinion 41 just mentioned opens the valve 40, so that the pumps can now draw water through the pipes 27ZL 27b and may therefore force the same upward through the pipe 28 to the sprinkling-head 56 and the cylinder 29, as above described. So long as the supply of the bagasse continues undiminished the gear 32 remains in mesh with the gears 33 34, (see Fig. 3,) and the indicating mechanism therefore measures off the length of the continuous supply of the bagasse, or at least meters off the number of revolutions made by the rolls, and this enables the statistician to ascertain in round numbers the quantity of bagasse fed through the mill. If, however, for any reason the supply of bagasse is stopped, the roll 10 moves to the right, according to the view shown in Fig. 2, and for the reason that the bagasse no longer presses upon its periphery, and the piston 74 is forced to the right by hydraulic pressure. This gives a partial relief to the water contained within the cylinder 69, (see Fig. 1,) whereupon it descends, and the resulting downward movement of the rack 69aL causes the pinion 41 to move in a clockwise direction, according to the view shown in Fig. 1, and thus close the valve 40, shutting off the supply of water through the pipes 27a 27 b to the pump.

When this cccurs-that is to say, when the supply of bagasse stops-the piston 31 drops downward and unmeshes the gear-wheel 32 from the wheel 34 of the indicating mechanism 35. This movement also brings the pinion 38 into mesh with the gear 33, and owing to the continuous rotation of the wheel 33 the pinion 38 causes the bell 39 to sound. This Warns the engineer that no bagasse is passing through the mill, and he thereupon stops the engine or other motor used for drivingthe rolls. The purpose of the by-pass 49 is to prevent the discharging of one of the pump-cylinders 25 26 upon empty rolls after the flow of the bagasse stops. This prevents the waste of water. The stopping of the indicating mechanism insures that the enumerator will be in action only when the supply of bagasse is maintained, and consequently will not make a record, merely because the rolls may continue in motion for a little time after the supply of bagasse stops. lf it be desired to increase or diminish the supply of water passing through the pump, the plate 14 is moved into different positions, as will be understood from Fig. 8. There is no hydraulic connection whatever between the water used for moving the roll l() in a lateral direction and for sprinkling the bagasse. Except for the mechanical connections ,therefore, the hydraulic pipes 72 and 28 are entirely independent of each other.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills, comprising a plurality of revoluble rolls, one of which is movable bodily in relation to another, hydraulic mechanism for shifting the general position of the roll thus moved, a sprinkling-head, mechanism for forcing water therethrough, and a valve connected with said -meehanism for controlling said sprinkling-head, said valve being in operative relation to said hydraulic mechanism and controllable thereby.

2. In a hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills, the combination of revoluble rolls, one of which is movable bodily toward and from the others, hydraulic mechanism for actuat ing the roller thus moved, a valve controllable by said hydraulic mechanism, piping connected with said valve, and a sprinklinghead connected with said piping.

3. In a hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills, the combination of rolls, a revoluble crankarm connected therewith and actuated thereby, a pump connected with said crank-arm IOO IIO

and adjustable relatively to the center of rotation thereof for the purpose of changing the stroke of said g head connected with said pump and supplied with water therefrom.

4. In a hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills, the combination of rolls, a revoluble crankarm connected therewith, a pump connected with said crank-arm and disposed relatively to the center of rotation thereof for changing pump, and a sprinkling- ISO the stroke of said pump, a sprinkling-head connected with said pump and disposed adjacent to said rolls for showering water thereupon, and. mechanism controllable by said rolls for shutting off1 the supply of water to said pump.

5. In a hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills, the combination of rolls, a pump actuated by movements thereof, a sprinkling-head connected with said pump and adapted to shower water to a point adjacent to said rolls, and mechanism controllable by movements of said rolls for governing the supply of water delivered to said sprinkling-head by said 6. pIn a hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills, the combination of a roll, hydraulic mechanism for shifting the same bodily in a lateral direction crossing its axis of rotation, a valve controllable by said hydraulic mechanism, a pipe connected with said valve and adapted to be opened and closed by movements thereof, and a sprinkling-head communicating with said pipe and normally supplied with water therefrom.

7. In a hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills, the lcombination of a pump, a sprinklinghead connected therewith and supplied with water therefrom, rolls disposed adjacent to said sprinkling-head, relief mechanism for said pump, and means controllable by movements of said rolls for throwing said relief mechanism into and out of action.

8. In a hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills, the combination of a pump provided with a by-pass, a valve for opening and closing said by-pass, a sprinkling-head connected with said pump and normally supplied with water therefrom, hydraulic mechanism connected with one of said rolls and controllable thereby for allowing said roll to yield, a valve connected with said hyhraulic mechanism and controllable by the same, and a pipe connecting said valve with said pumping mechanism.

9. In a hydraulic apparatus for cane-mills,

' the combination of a plurality of revoluble rolls, one of which is movable bodily in relation to the others,hydraulic cylinders disposed adjacent thereto, pistons mounted within said hydraulic cylinder and connected with said roll for moving the same in a lateral direction crossing its axis, means for relieving excess of pressure within said hydraulic cylinders, and mechanism controllable by said last-mentioned means for governing a supply of water to said cylinders.

10. In a hydraulic apparatus for canemills, the combination of rolls, an enumerator for measuring the number of revolutions thereof, mechanism connecting said enumerator with said rollshand means controllable by pressure of one of said rolls for throwing said last-mentioned mechanism into and out of action.

11. In a hydraulic apparatus for canemills, the combination of an enumerator provided with a revoluble member, a plurality of rolls, one of which is provided with a revoluble member, hydraulic mechanism'J provided with a gear member for connecting said revoluble members together so that the movements of said rolls may actuate said enumerator, and means controllable by pressure upon one of said rolls for throwing said gear member into and out of operative relation with said revoluble members.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of revoluble rolls, an enumerator, mechanism connecting said enumerator with said rolls, and means controllable automatically by pressure of said rolls for throwing said last-mentioned mechanism into and out of action.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of revoluble rolls, mechanism for showering water thereupon, and alarm mechanism controllable by the relaxation of pressure upon one of said rolls for indicating said relaxation of pressure.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of means for showering water upon bagasse, rolls for squeezing said bagasse lthus treated, and mechanism controllable by pressure of said bagasse upon said rolls for shutting off the supply of Water upon said bagasse.

15. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with revoluble rolls, of means operated from one of the rolls by the revolution thereof, for delivering water to the material passing between the said rolls.

16. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with revoluble rolls, of a water-distributer arranged adjacent to the rolls, and means operated from one of the rolls by the revolution thereof for delivering water to the distributer.

17. In an apparatus of the character described the combination with revoluble rolls, of a water-distributer arranged adjacent to the rolls, a pump for forcing water to the distributer, and means for operating the pump.

1S. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with revoluble rolls, of means for delivering water to the material passing between the rolls, an indicator, and means controlled by the supply of water for operating the indicator.

19. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with revoluble rolls, one of which carries a gear-wheel on its shaft, of an indicator arranged adjacent to the roll carrying the gear-wheel and provided with a gear-wheel, a cylinder, means for admitting a fluid to said cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, and a gear-wheel on the piston-rod and adapted to mesh with the gear-wheels of the roll and indicator.

20. In an apparatus of the character de` IOO (scribed, the combination with rolls, one of which carries a gear-wheel on its shaft, of an indicator provided with a gear-wheel, a cylinder, means for admitting a fluid to the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a gear-wheel on the piston-rod and adapted to mesh with the gear-wheels ofthe roll and indicator, a second gear-wheel carried by the piston-rod and adapted to mesh with the gear-wheel of the roll, and an alarm adjacent to and operated by the last-named gear-wheel of the pistonrod.

21. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with revoluble rolls, of means for delivering water on the material passing between the rolls, an indicator, and means controlled by the delivering operating means for operating the indicator from one of the rolls.

22. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with revoluble rolls, of a water-distributer, means for delivering water to the distributer, an indicator, gearing between the indicator and one of the rolls, and means controlled from the water-delivering means and carrying one of said gears.

23. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with revoluble rolls, one of which has a gear-wheel on its shaft, of a water-distributer, a pump for forcing water to the distributer, an indicator provided with a gear-wheel, a cylinder connected with the pump, a piston in the cylinder, and a gearwheel on the piston-rod and adapted to mesh with the gear-wheels of the roll and indicator.

24. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with revoluble rolls,

one of which has a gear-wheel on its shaft, of a water-distributer adjacent to the rolls, a pump for delivering water to the distributer, an indicator provided with a gear-wheel, a cylinder connected with the pump, a piston in the cylinder, a gear-wheel on the pistonrod and adapted to mesh with the gear-wheels of the roll and indicator, a second gear-wheel on the piston-rod and adapted to mesh with the gear-"wheel of the roll, and an alarm operated from the last-named gear-wheel of the piston-rod.

25, In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with revoluble rolls, one of which is' mounted in movable bearings and another one of which is provided with a gear-wheel on its shaft, of a water-distributer adjacent to the rolls, a pump for delivering water to the distributer, an indicator provided with a gear-wheel, a cylinder connected with the pump, a piston in the cylinder, a gear- Wheel on the piston-rod and adapted to mesh with the gear-'wheels of the roll and indicator, a second gear-wheel on the piston-rod and adapted to mesh with the gear-wheel of the roll, an alarm operated by the last-named gear-wheel of the piston-rod, and means controlled by the movement of said movable roll for controlling the supply of water to the distributer and cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my l name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN COOPER SEARLE. Witnesses:

G. H. GERE, J. CASTLE RmGwAY. 

